No Matter What
by overcomingthedark
Summary: Post Desert AU where Danny only imagines the kiss, and they're both left to secretly pine. "Umm…what?" he mumbled, still stunned with the daydream his mind had just conjured up. He had thought about kissing Mindy before, but it was never like that. That was…well…he wasn't sure what that was.
1. Chapter 1

**Hello my fellow Dandy lovers! I've been reading and writing fanfiction for years, but this is my first time posting anything for the public eye. Dandy has finally gotten a tough enough hold on me that I feel like I have to write them :) This idea came from a conversation I had with a fellow fan after the winter finale. She believes the whole kiss was a hoax and the reason the next episode is on April 1st is because the kiss is going to be an April fools joke. Now, I certainly hope that this is just a conspiracy theory but I just couldn't get ****the idea**** out of my head, thus: No Matter What. This started out as a one shot just because I have commitment issues and I'm afraid if I commit to a multi-chapter fic, I'll fail spectacularly. However I love this idea so much I might just write a little more ;) Anyway! On to the main event! Not beta'd, and any feedback at all would be so gratefully received! **

**-TMP and all its characters belong to their creators, I merely enjoy playing with them ;P- **

Danny jerked in his seat when he felt a small hand on his shoulder.

"Danny, I'm eighty-five percent sure that this is tonic water. If it's not, please don't spit it all over me. I honestly just can't tell the difference. You'd think they'd have it clearly labeled for kooks like you who..." Danny let her ramble on, still stuck in his own head. He numbly readjusted to let Mindy into her seat and took the bottle. After she had gotten comfortable, she turned to him, obviously waiting for a response.

"Umm…what?" he mumbled, still stunned with the daydream his mind had just conjured up. He had thought about kissing Mindy before, but it was never like _that_. That was…well…he wasn't sure **what** that was.

"Your eloquence astounds Danny, really. I said: do you think we're gonna have to work tomorrow? If so I'm totally calling in sick. Jeremy just doesn't understand the kind of beauty rest it takes to get over these sorts of trips!" Mindy gesticulating all over the place finally broke Danny out of his self induced stupor.

"Don't be ridiculous," he scoffed. "You'll be fine. You have actual patients to attend to-and there's no way in hell I'm covering your ass."

"My ass needs no covering Danny, it is glorious and should be celebrated." She haughtily stated, nose in the air, grin on her lips. Oh god, her _lips._

Danny quickly recovered from the distraction and slapped on a smirk as he looked away from her beguiling features. Under his breath he muttered "You can say that again." Fully intending for the comment to go unnoticed, he was embarrassed to hear Mindy exclaim.

"Ex-squeeze me?! What did you say Castellano? Ugh I knew it, I knew you were obsessed with me." Mindy tried her best to cover her blush as she remarked as she believed Danny would expect her to. That comment had come outta left field. Mindy paused, if she was being realistic with herself, it really hadn't. As Danny shifted away from her, choosing to ignore her statement, she really looked at him. Their relationship was complicated as ever these days. The two had finally made it into the friendship zone and skated easily into best-friendship. What Mindy had failed to realize until just now was that they had forgotten to hit the brakes, and now Mindy no had no idea where she stood with him. As much as they argued, Mindy liked to refer to it in her head as harmless banter, a sign they both had passion in everything they did. She wondered if he was passionate about her.

Was she passionate about him?

Well sure. But what kinda passion was it, exactly?

Mindy gave him one last, long gaze and turned her body towards the window. She fully intended to sleep on this new found revelation.

When Danny at last heard Mindy's breaths even out, he heaved a giant sigh. God, Castellano! What the fuck was that? He shook his head at himself. Nice going bozo. He wasn't an idiot(as much as Mindy liked to insist). He had felt her gaze on him long after their conversation had died out. He just chose to…ignore the situation until further notice. His relationship with Mindy was changing, and as happy as he would be if the change resulted in a relationship, if things went too fast or if he played his cards wrong, their friendship would be over. And as hesitant as he was to admit it, even to himself, his life would be hell without Mindy by his side.

Danny settled into his seat, preparing to shut his eyes until the inevitable confrontation when the plane landed. As his thoughts drifted off with his consciousness, one thing was clear in his mind: even if it meant that he couldn't be with Mindy the way he wanted, Danny would keep her at his side. No matter what.

**Thanks so much for reading! If ya feel like it, let me know what you think, I'd appreciate it muchly ;) Should I leave it a one shot? Maybe keep it going for a few chapters? Let me know! **

**xoxo**

**~overcomingthedark**


	2. Chapter 2

**AHH! Oh my gosh, I am so grateful to everyone who read, followed, favorited and reviewed. Especially those who reviewed. Honestly I didn't expect the joy I get from realizing people actually read and enjoy my work :) just thank you thank you thank you so much. This is fun! ;) **

**(In case it wasn't obvious, I decided to aim for the lofty goal of multi-chaptered fic ^.^ we'll see how this goes, hopefully I won't disappoint :) **

**Not sure how long this story is going to be as a whole, I've got a (very) basic outline of how it'll go in my head, but when I sit down to write, things I didn't even think about come out of my head and onto the paper, so I guess that's another "we'll see"  
Anyway! Here's chapter two of: No Matter What! **

**-TMP and all its characters belong to their creators, I merely enjoy playing with them ;P-**

Danny walked into his cold, dark apartment and tried his very best not to slam the door. Letting his bags drop in a messy pile by the door, he walked straight to the couch and threw himself down on it. He sat in silence for a few minutes, letting his arm block out the residual light coming in from outside.

"Fuck!" Danny yelled at the empty room, uncovering his face and staring at the ceiling. Studying the plain white paint, he went over what had just happened for the eighth time that evening. Screwing his eyes shut, he shook his head violently, as if to get it out of his head.

Danny felt his arm being shaken by that same delicate hand that had haunted his dreams for the past several hours.

"Danny, we're landing. Time to wake up and smell the flowers!" Mindy said, smiling to herself.

"I'm up, I'm up." Danny moaned groggily, peeking through squinty eyes at Mindy's bright features. "Jeez, who spiked your orange juice?" He said, annoyed but more awake due to Mindy's incessant prodding.

"Hmm? Oh nothing. Except that Cliff emailed me back. He's picking me up at the airport, and we're gonna talk! Oh Danny he actually is going to take me back. I know it, I can just feel it. And it's all thanks to you!" Mindy grinned and looked at him in a way that made him feel like he was king of the world. He started to grin back when her words actually registered and he felt himself die a little inside.

Trying his best to keep a smile on his face, Danny responded with a half-hearted "That's great Min." and turned away to unbuckled his seat belt in preparation of getting his bag from the overhead bin. The plane had landed and was taxiing to the gate. Whatever 'confrontation' he had fooled himself into believing was coming was obviously a hazy delusion.

Mindy forced the grin to stay put as she melted at bit at Danny's affectionate nickname. She knew she had laid it on a little thick, but when she woke up an hour before landing and saw the email from Cliff asking her if he could meet her at JFK she realized how foolish she had been. Danny didn't have "feelings" for her. His comment was obviously a joke meant to rile her up and she had taken the bait. Cliff was the one she was meant to be with. Cliff was handsome, and smart beyond belief, and good to her. Despite Danny's kind comment near the beginning of the flight, she knew she was lucky to have landed him. So she would get back together with Cliff. And if she had to shut down this rising attraction for Danny by firmly establishing boundaries, then so be it.

Even if it did kill her a little inside.

She and Danny were meant to be friends, and that's it, Mindy insisted to herself.

Friends. What a god-awful word. Mindy grimaced as she followed Danny off the plane and into the terminal. The walk to the baggage claim was a silent one, though not necessarily awkward. Just as Mindy was about to say something, anything to get them back to normal, Danny pointed, and Mindy-following his finger- saw Cliff.

Cliff grinned at her and ran towards her, flowers in hand, in one of the most perfect movie moments Mindy had ever experienced in her life. Too bad it was with the wrong guy.

Stop it! She scolded herself. Cliff was perfect, and she fully intended to stop this pity party and accept that fact. With one last glance at Danny, she ran towards Cliff and embraced him.

Danny balked at that glance. In the five minute walk from the plane to the baggage claim, he had managed to convince himself(yet again) that Mindy thought of him as only a friend, and he was just hurting himself by entertaining the idea that he actually had a chance with her. Danny had pretty much succeeded in his attempt to block her out, when he pointed out Cliff to Mindy and the guy _actually_ started to run towards them. Now this, this is what Mindy wants he said to himself. A knight in shinning armor that runs to her rescue. Not some sweaty asshole with daddy problems from the island.

But then she glanced at him for not even half a second and the wall Danny managed to precariously build, crumbled. Jesus! How could she unravel him with just a look?! He was so done for. So. Fucking. Done for. He managed to unglue his feet from the ground and make his way over to the embracing couple just in time to hear Cliff utter the words. _Those_ words, the dreaded three syllables that Cliff didn't even understand, couldn't understand. Not from only being with Mindy for a few months. Danny had known her for years, and he barely understood the feelings he had for her. Cliff didn't _love _her. It annoyed him that Cliff threw the words around so easily. Didn't he know Mindy would take him at his word? Didn't he understand that she'd believe him? Danny glared at Cliff, unable to contain his bitterness. Cliff just broke up with Mindy not 72 hours ago. Did she actually believe this crap?

Danny interrupted the moment, not being able to stand the notion she might reply in kind.

"Hey Cliff!" He stuck his hand out and slapped on a grin. "How's it been going? Weather been okay here?" Cliff gave Danny a tight-lipped smile, shaking his hand a bit too tightly for an amiable handshake. Danny's shit-eating grin only got wider as he took in Cliff's obvious displeasure at having been interrupted. Danny pulled his hand back and stuck both hands in his pockets, his grin still in place.

"Um Danny? We were kinda in the middle of something." Mindy shot out in an annoyed tone. When Danny looked at her though, he couldn't shake the feeling that she looked almost relieved.

"Oh I'm sorry!" He told her, clearly not. "But our bags are going to be on the conveyor belt soon and you just know someone will see your zebra print luggage and instantly want it as their own. I feel like we should move ourselves over there, to prevent any…umm…" Danny trailed off, unable to finish the bullshit excuse he was pulling out of his ass, as Mindy gave him the smallest of smirks before slapping on an exaggerated look of indignation.

"He's right! Cliff! Hurry! My beauteous luggage wouldn't survive in the hands of an average peasant! There are very specific care techniques you know…" Mindy linked arms with Cliff and ushered him quickly over to the correct conveyor belt. Danny followed a few steps behind them, a stupid smile on his face as he listened to Mindy describe the extensive work that goes into keeping her luggage pristine. Danny shook his head, what a Mindy thing to do. Who cares that the stupid bag will be thrown around and dropped in puddles by the airport staff? Lahiri owned luggage will be nothing less than impeccable. Obviously. Mindy never could pass up an opportunity for a loud show-off-y accessory.

As tortuous as Danny imagined standing waiting for luggage with the couple would be, it really wasn't as bad as he was anticipating. What he couldn't stop beating himself up about was what came after.

"Should I go get us a cab?" Danny asked, turning to Mindy and Cliff after getting the last of his luggage.

"Not to be rude Danny," Cliff tersely stated, obviously still miffed about the interrupted declaration earlier "but I came here to pick up Mindy… not you. I think we'll get our own cab, thanks."

"Oh, right. Of course. Umm… yeah. Okay. Yeah." Danny blustered. He turned to Mindy, fully intending to say a quick goodbye, but at the same time he opened his mouth to say something , Mindy did too and both started talking at the same time

"So I guess I'll see ya tomorrow -" "Have a great night -" They both stopped, just looking at each other. Cliff laughed awkwardly and interlaced his fingers with Mindy's

"Okay, catch ya later Danny." he said. Danny stuck out his hand toward Mindy as she went in for a one-armed hug. It was so awkward and unlike them that Danny just nodded at her and turned on his heel to get a cab. He just left! God, maybe he was an idiot. One miserable, brutal cab ride later, and here he was. No wonder Mindy was with Cliff instead of him. He was as smooth as a cactus.

***

Danny pulled himself into a sitting position, back in the present. He looked at the TV remote, considering losing himself in crap television.

"I need a drink." He said to no one in particular, and pushed himself off the couch.

**Oh the angst! I promise it won't be this bad in the future. Well actually the next couple chapters will probably be angst ridden(It seems to be what I excel at) but I will try my best to bring in the humor and fluff. Don't worry people, we'll get there :) **

**Thanks so much for reading!**

**PS- I am aware that last chapter was painfully short. Hopefully this'll make up for it a little! It's almost three times the length, I tried my best xD **

**Let me know what ya think! **

**xoxo**

**~overcomingthedark**


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